‘E.T. Boogie‘ can hardly be in short supply now — according to one sales chart it is suddenly the nation’s top disco seller, and certainly such as London’s Oxford Street Virgin Megastore have plenty left in stock (the Ex Tras are apparently London’s current best seller) . . . Jonny Chingas ‘Phone Home‘ has taken off like a rocket — try it synched out of Tyrone Brunson . . . Britain’s funk fans really do seem to be splitting, if not segregating, black kids getting heavily into electrophonic phunk while for many the white taste is pure soul music . . . TMT release a Toney Lee remix this week, I Level’s UK newie next week couples ‘Teacher‘ / ‘Number 4’ / ‘Give Me (US Remix)’, Goodie will have a 4-track 12in when he visits with the Gap Band and Yarbrough & Peoples for February dates at Hammersmith (5) and Birmingham (7) Odeons . . . EWF’s LP is not due here until next month, along with a new War set . . . Kabbala’s labels were reversed on many copies, mine included, the faster more immediate dance track indeed being ‘Ashewo Ara’ . . . Sharon Redd, at her much enjoyed reception last week, confirmed that veteran record producer/arranger Gene Redd Jr is her brother — obviously a lot older than her! . . . Greg Wilson (Wigan Pier) won the Imagination medley-mix contest, Alan Coulthard coming second out of 105 entries, some of which were “awful” (to quote a Red Bus spokesman) . . . Greg Edwards is planning to give up his Capital Radio-broadcast ‘Best Disco In Town’, and all other gigs bar Tuesdays at the Old Kent Road’s Dun Cow, in an effort to mellow out in his old age — and hopefully return to acting, maybe . . . Philadelphia International has evidently folded quietly in the States . . . Ensign is moving from RCA to Island for distribution . . . Phyllis Hyman was stunning on Sunday night’s ‘Live From Her Majesty’s’ ITV show, in an abruptly curtailed excerpt from the Broadway smash ‘Sophisticated Ladies’ Duke Ellington musical — which’ll be coming here in May . . . Channel 4’s ‘The Tube’ is filming this Saturday (22) at Canvey Island’s Goldmine (part 1 / part 2 / part 3), where Miles Davis ‘Milestones‘ is Chris Hill’s current rave revival . . . Goldmine owning Stan & Jayne Barrett’s new venue, The Music Room at the Sheffield Arms, Sheffield Park (off the A275 near Uckfield, East Sussex), officially opens on 4th February with Tongy, Youngy & Jonesy operating a rota every Friday and Hilly starting Sundays later that month . . . Jon Williams’s Merseyside fanzine ‘Soulblowin’ (inc. Jay D’s Boogie)’ even in its “test pressing” stage is full of surprisingly up-front news and, dare I say, makes a meatier read than the more ambitious ‘TCOB NOW’ . . . Ric-Tic label legends from the ’60s Edwin Starr, JJ Barnes, Laura Lee, Al Kent, Pat Lewis & Lou Ragland all appear (on stage 5-7pm) this Sunday (23) at Manchester’s Ritz Ballroom alldayer — worth seeing by all old soul freaks . . . Gregg Parker, the London visiting musician currently happy to be thought of as either brother or cousin of Ray Parker Jr, turns out to be neither — he was conclusively caught out by Eyes & Ears Karen Spreadbury when he failed to recognise a photo of Ray (which doesn’t detract from any musical ability he may have) . . . Walt Disney Productions deny signing Steve Walsh to be their latest cartoon character! . . . Martin Prescott (Chelsea Click) has just opened his own Martin Sound & Light equipment shop at 70a Blackstock Road, London N4 . . . Al Dupres, who does a weekly soul show on Hospital Radio Glamorgan, recommends the three Cardiff branches of Odyssey Records for their DJ discounts . . . Andy, Mel, Julian & Sarah at Pitts in Exeter High Street are keen for the locals to know they now stock ‘Soul On Sound’, my preview mix on issue 11 featuring Galaxy-TU Orch/Gap Band/Mahogany/NYC Peech Boys/Dwayne Omarr/Funkacise Gang/Sweet Ecstacy/Charades/Rockers Revenge/Man Parrish/Fresh Face/Trammps/Sunfire ‘Step’/Harry Ray ‘Love’/Mezzoforte/EWF/Futura/Jonny Chingas/C-Bank/Cori Josias/Spencer Jones/Angela Bofill ‘Tough’/Kabbala/Boy Katindig ‘Midnight Lady’, all crammed into 20:58 while this time it was SOS’s engineering adviser Richard Facey who was snoring on the floor! . . . Melba Moore was so pleased with her earlier experience of co-hosting an issue of SOS that she has particularly stipulated she’d like to do another on her latest UK visit, while all the Soul On Sound team (including Tony Jenkins, Graham Gold, Kev Edwards, Ralph Tee and myself) will be doing an alldayer at Epping Forest Country Club on Sunday 6th March — by coincidence just about my 20th anniversary as a DJ . . . Froggy marries glamorous Sue next Wednesday . . . Tony Jenkins, the only DJ to get divorced before he’s even been married?! . . . Nicky Peck, pounding out a different beat? . . . Alan ‘Gibbo’ Gibson (021-472 4670) reckons he’s taken his successful formula of new music as far as he can at Edgbaston’s Faces French and is now looking for fresh venues to conquer . . . Andy Baker (0745-591 135) similarly fancies the fresh challenge of, preferably, a soul/funk venue in London/Manchester/Birmingham but will settle for playing anything, anywhere (just so long as it’s not North Wales, huh?) . . . Watford New Penny’s Mr Harris (Watford 22003 after 9pm Wed-Sun) is yet again looking for DJs — can’t he keep them? . . . Steve Glover is delighted to have left Faradays completely for Bournemouth’s Club Enfer, where everyone boogies down . . . Gary Allan still does the gay nights at McMillan’s but has moved over to Liverpool’s The Warehouse for Fri/Saturdays . . . Dave Thomas jazz-funks Shrewsbury Tiffanys Crystal Goblet every Wednesday, Wayne Everett (better known to the Chingford Funkaholics as ‘Tackleman’) jazz-funks Edmonton Angel’s The Globe every Sat/Sunday pub hours . . . Sean French & George Alexander jazz-soul Harrow Leisure Centre this Saturday (22), Morrissey Mullen play Catford Saxon Tavern Panthers the same night and West Kensington Sunset Club on Sunday (23) . . . Nicky Holloway, whose Monday jazz-soul guests at the Swan & Sugarloaf in Dockhead (near London’s Tower Bridge) are Sean French (24) and Jeff Young (31), is looking for Loleatta Holloway ‘Hit ‘N’ Run‘ and Sonny Stitt ‘Slick Eddie‘ (offers on 01-458 1551) . . . Larry Foster (Flat 4, 216 Romford Road, London E7 9HY) wants a replacement Banbarra ‘Shack Up‘ . . . London Piccadilly’s plush Xenon amongst its stage side shows includes the eccentric spectacle of two Russian dwarfs fighting, but after five minutes “they” suddenly straighten up in the amazing revelation that it’s just been one man, bent double! . . . Ian Levine (Charing Cross Heaven) has Bobby Nunn ‘Never Seen Anything Like You‘ (Motown 12in promo flip) as his gay chart-topper, Chris Lucas (Earls Court Copacabana) is into Key Of Dreams ‘Africa (Dub Mix)‘ (Italian Key Of Dreams 12in) . . . Lindsay Wesker seems surprised Bunny Mack ‘Let Me Love You‘ still gets rave reaction, when it’s a true black classic (in London at least) . . . Christmas did not for once see a new Whispers set on Solar import . . . George Clinton ‘Atomic Dog’ is on US Capitol 12in now . . . Trevor John Hughes (Telford 592648) will provide bona fide DJs with tape demos and PAs by new new synth ‘n’ sax electro group Cadre Cadance . . . Rob Harknett (027-979 2329) once again has a pile of ’81/’82 Music Week trade papers free for the collection from Harlow . . . DJ/entertainer Geoff D has left his third season in Jersey to try working in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates — evidently the first to do so . . . Alan Donald (Rothesay) sensibly revives Umberto Tozzi ‘Gloria‘ (CBS 12in) . . . Ned Fincham (Edinburgh Madhatters Speakeasy — not to be confused with Steve Martin upstairs at Madhatters) has split from long time partner Colin Cordrey . . . I only just saw the Hammy Awards issue of RM and should clarify the ”Runners Up (Poodle Cut And Brush Up)” related to “Haircut Of The Year”! . . . Gordy Gordy Hallelujah? . . . Paul Savory (Oxford Coven Club) wants BPMs incorporated into the disco charts — this would be cumbersome and space wasting, but why don’t you copy so many RM-reading DJs and make a file of these pages, referring back to the BPM in the review when you eventually get a record, writing the BPM on it or its sleeve and then boxing the records you use in rough BPM order? . . . Billy Griffin took his time but finally justified our faith, thanks though to radio . . . Gallup are getting it right . . . THERE’S NOTHING SILLY ABOUT THAT!

BLACKPOOL SOUL DJ team, Pete Haigh & Frenchie kindly sent me a digital watch-cum-ballpoint pen for Christmas, which shouldn’t be thought of as a bribe for listing the guys current gigs. Frenchie (real name Chris Tittley) has just started souling Thursdays with Kev Edwards at the Sandpiper in Whalley (how’s that pronounced?!) near Blackburn, and alone still souls Wednesdays at Oscars in Bamber Bridge’s Pear Tree Hotel near Preston, while Pete Haigh on his own has returned to soul Sundays at Caton’s Scarthwaite Hall near Lancaster, and the two of them will begin souling Fridays at Blackpool Central Promenade’s Barons on February 4.

PAPA SIMEON was the youthful and previously unheard of winner from Gloucester of the recent reggae toasting DJ/MC contest at Bristol’s Spencers, hosted by Superfly, David Rodigan and Papa Face, which turned out to be a huge success with people hanging from the rafters but not a glass broken or bag stolen. Second came sly-eyed Striker, who is now already recording radio jingles for all the reggae/soul shows in the South-West.

HOT VINYL

INDEEP: ‘Last Night A DJ Saved My Life’ (Sound Of New York SNYL 1, via PRT).
Fantastic compulsive simple chick-sung chugger with ringing phone, skidding tyres and flushing loo effects, culminating in a rapping DJ who “can do it in the mix”, on multi-banded 12in with various dub versions and the sound effects usefully on their own. If this doesn’t go to the Top 20 I’ll be very surprised.

ROCKERS REVENGE featuring DONNIE CALVIN: ‘The Harder They Come’ (London LONX 18).
Relying more on the strength of the song (which actually cuts through extremely catchily) this immediately familiar 0-114bpm 12in Jimmy Cliff update could just as a result become an even bigger pop hit than their very similar though more gimmicky ‘Walking On Sunshine’, of which the much imported 114½bpm ‘Sunshine Partytime (Rap)‘ version (here possibly retitled ‘Rapping In Sunshine’?) makes a 2-track flip alongside the new song’s short 114½bpm instrumental.

MICHAEL JACKSON: ‘Billie Jean’ (Epic A13-3084).
Nothing to do with tennis this sparsely thrumming purposeful precise 116bpm 12in tripper does in its remixed form now make excellent sense as the album’s first single, his het-up jerky vocalese counterpointing the groove beautifully, with an instrumental version and the old spurting 53/105bpm ‘It’s The Falling In Love’ as flip.

SMOKEY ROBINSON: ‘Touch The Sky’ LP (US Tamla 6030TL).
Following his recent hit formula the delightfully flowing delicate 111bpm title track floater rolls bouncily along with Smokey wailing sweetly in his inimitable style, the whole mid-tempo to slow set being beautiful and cohesively similar, the 107bpm ‘All My Life’s A Lie‘ and melodically ‘My Girl’-ish 109bpm ‘Gimme What You Want‘ also having chances.

THE MICRONAWTS: ‘(I Can Do It . . . You Can Do It) Letzmurph Acrossdasurf’ (US Tuff City TC-0002).
Purists will sneer but this new slab of electrophonic phunk is fantastic for fans, mixing sensationally with Man Parrish, Tyrone Brunson, Extra T’s, Warp 9 and all of that ilk. On 4-track 12in in a variety of mixes all but the 117bpm club mix instrumental being 116bpm — and, for added hip honky poseur status, Afrika Bambaataa did the two dub mixes.

BOY KATINDIG: ‘Midnight Lady’ LP (US PAUSA PR 7137).
Controversy rages as to the ethnic origin of Roland Katindig because although the jazz keyboardist looks (and in the prevailing climate is likely to be) somewhat Japanese all the other names on his excellent specialist set seem rather Mexican! Non-jazz jocks will get most out of the smoochy Emotions-originated 69bpm ‘Don’t Ask My Neighbors‘ or Billy Joel’s c.71bpm ‘Just The Way You Are‘, while the ever developing blinder in specialist circles is the slightly Lonnie Liston Smith ‘Expansions’-ish 115(intro)-117-120-122-124-125-124-123-0bpm title track, others (all instrumental) being the c.133-139-135-0bpm ‘Whatever Happened To The Love?‘, c.111bpm ‘Language Of Love‘, c.138bpm ‘Agua De Beber‘.

CORI JOSIAS: ‘Takin’ It Straight’ (Metropolis/Carrere CART 258).
Ian Levine’s TV spotted fave rave finally makes it to vinyl on Rusty Egan’s label and turns out to be an exceptionally exciting 120bpm 12in bundle of energy pulsed by a synth beat with everything imaginable happening in waves, the funky opening guitar though being let down by the lady’s Cara/Summer-ish vocal sound — but there’s a good sparse and rather different dub flip too.

GROVER WASHINGTON JR: ‘Can You Dig It’ (LP ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’ Elektra E0215).
As suspected the one track from his new set to make the most long lasting sense as a dancer is this sinuous tootling unhurried 110-111-112bpm instrumental weaver with a Deodato-ish undertow.

STANLEY TURRENTINE: ‘I’ll Be There’ (LP ‘Home Again’ Elektra E0201).
More obvious than Grover, this sax stabbing good jaunty 118bpm jazz-funk leaper has chaps exhorting “blow Stanley” through cooing chix, the other main dancer being the strutting 108bpm instrumental ‘Paradise‘, good with the SOS Band ‘Groovin’.

MASTER JAM: ‘Dancin’ All Night’ (Proto ENAT 102, via PRT).
Unreceived in the mail though evidently serviced some time back (explaining its unexpected chart rise), the happily cantering rather fast 0-130½bpm 12in skipper has butch guys and — its main attraction — a nice electric piano break which many prefer on the ‘Party Mix Instrumental‘ flip.

MADONNA: ‘Everybody’ (Sire W 9899T).
Never as hot as it’s been in US gay discos, the trite chick squawked, and sighed 120bpm 12in looping loper is somewhat Eurodisco but saved by a nice easy bass line, heard best on dub version flip.

BARRY BIGGS: ‘Break Your Promise’ (Taxi 12WIP 6847).
The squeaky fat reggae star has fluctuating bursts of success and could well be back on a winner with his lovely high pitched delicate 76bpm 12in revival of an old Delfonics smoocher.

LUTHER VANDROSS: ‘Better Love’ (LP ‘Forever, For Always, For Love’ Epic EPC 25220).
Now it’s finally out here the listener-aimed soul set’s most danced to tracks seem to be this delicately strung out spurting 0-102½-104bpm jogger and the lushly jolting 0-115-114bpm ‘You’re The Sweetest One‘.

MARLENA SHAW: ‘More Room At The Top’ (LP ‘Let Me In Your life’ US South Bay SB 1004).
Depth lacking set with one side produced by Johnny Bristol, including this martially drumming catchy 118-120-122-124bpm chugger, which is also on 12in (SBD 1004) flipped by (the true standout) a nice torchy 57½-59bpm smooching of the old ‘At Last’ produced by the other side’s Webster Lewis — whose cuts also include the skittering 124bpm ‘Spend Some Love‘ and mournful 75bpm ‘Without You In My Life’, Johnny’s the breezy 122bpm ‘Never Give Up On You‘ and 122-124bpm ‘Just Want This Feeling To Last‘.

CHERYL LYNN (With Luther Vandross): ‘If This World Were Mine’ (CBS A13-2952).
Produced and vocally started by Luther, an attractive dead slow 30-31/62 63-0bpm sophisticated almost Streisand-ish radio smoocher originally by Marvin & Tammi, surprisingly on 12in.

ROBERT WINTERS & FALL: ‘L-O-V-E’ LP (US Casablanca NBLP 7275).
Compared with his superlatively deep soul single the rest of Robert’s album is a disappointment, the title track 113bpm Al Green revival being perfectly OK though hardly inspired.

PEABO BRYSON: ‘We Don’t Have To Talk (About Love)’ (LP ‘Don’t Play With Fire’ US Capitol ST-12241).
Listening orientated set from the suave soulster, this 32½bpm crawler being a nice smoocher while gently rhythmic are the 116-118-120bpm title track, 123-124bpm ‘Turn It On‘, 112/56-115-117bpm ‘Go For It‘.